The Daily Journal.- One million barrels of Venezuelan oil will arrive in Texas this Tuesday, according to Jarrod Agen, Executive Director of the U.S. National Energy Dominance Council, during an interview with Fox Business. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to welcome the shipment during a visit to Port Arthur, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
“There is a massive shipment of Venezuelan crude heading to the United States, all thanks to President Trump,” Agen said when asked about the oil’s arrival and its potential impact on gasoline prices.
The official argued that Venezuelan oil shipments, along with other measures the U.S. administration has implemented, are beginning to put downward pressure on energy prices.
“When you look at everything the president said about Venezuela, you can see he was right (…). I mean, several shipments have already arrived, and all of this, combined with all the measures the president has taken, is beginning to put downward pressure on energy prices,” Agen added.
The official claimed that the current “problem” facing the U.S. energy industry stems from what he described as the Democrats’ “war on refining.”
“They shut down refineries. California used to have dozens of refineries; today, the number has fallen to single digits,” he claimed.
Agen recalled that Trump recently announced plans to allocate $150 million to increase refining capacity in the United States.
“We have crude oil. We have crude flowing into the United States. We are receiving more oil from the Middle East than before the war. We have Venezuelan oil entering the United States. The key issue is refining. Democrats want to stop refining in the United States; the president wants to expand it,” he insisted.
Separately, AP reported that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio plan to visit the newly arrived oil tanker in Port Arthur, Texas, on Tuesday. The vessel carries Venezuelan crude destined for refineries in the area. The news agency cited a congressional adviser and two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement.
Port Arthur, on the Gulf Coast, serves as a major hub for the U.S. refining industry. Refineries in the region have a particular interest in heavy crude oil grades such as those Venezuela produces.
The planned visit to Port Arthur coincides with a series of campaign events Trump will hold in Texas to support Republican candidates in the midterm congressional elections.
The president has scheduled rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock, where he aims to strengthen support for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who faces a closely contested race against Democrat James Talarico, the AP reported.
The news agency noted that Rubio’s participation in any of those campaign events remained unclear. However, the trip would mark the first time the Secretary of State accompanies Trump on a campaign tour across the country.
